Removing bins from Watford's waterways 'recipe for disaster'

Watford mayor Peter Taylor and councillor Tim Williams wrote to the Canal & River Trust Trust requesting a meeting after it confirmed it will expect walkers to “take your litter home” nationwide.

The group responded that it would be open to the council taking on the cost of emptying the bins, but confirmed it will not continue to pay itself, comparing the new message to the Countryside Code and what walkers would expect outside of urban areas.

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The mayor said: “This decision is a recipe for disaster for our precious local waterways. I know from dealing with litter and fly-tipping across Watford that we cannot just rely on people to take their litter home.

“Without these bins we could end up with a lot more litter by the canal.

“I understand the financial pressure the Canal & River Trust are under but this is the wrong solution. The good work they do across the country will be undermined by piles of litter and fly-tipping.

“I hope they change their mind.”

Mayor Peter Taylor and Cllr Tim Williams by one of the bins (Image: Watford Liberal Democrats)

Councillor Tim Williams called the move "a major step backwards for litter management in the area".

He added: “We fear the accumulation of litter that will occur and the detrimental effect it will have on the natural beauty of the area, and upon wildlife."

A Canal & River Trust spokesperson said it spends a £250,000 a year emptying bins in London and the South East.

They added: “With the value of the Trust’s fixed government grant being eroded by inflation each year, the primary focus for our expenditure must be on maintaining infrastructure to protect the long-term future of the waterways in Watford and across our 2,000-mile network.

“While we have made clear that we are open to representations from local authorities willing to take on the financial responsibility for bins in their area, or indeed from businesses able to sponsor a bin, it is not a cost our charity can continue to bear.”